


hanchul | cats

by plincess_cho (ai_hao)



Category: Super Junior
Genre: Author: Ai, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-07
Updated: 2015-03-07
Packaged: 2018-03-16 17:11:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3496310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ai_hao/pseuds/plincess_cho
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Han Geng wants a cat.</p>
            </blockquote>





	hanchul | cats

**Author's Note:**

> University AU

It’s Han Geng’s idea to get cats. He’s pretty sure he’ll end up in Korea after graduation, so why not start putting down roots? Besides, he wants something that’s  _his_. Not a rented apartment, not a language he can hardly learn, and not a set of books he has to return after the semester ends. 

When he tells his roommate, Heechul isn’t entirely keen on the idea. “A cat? Here?”

"Sure," Han Geng says with a shrug. "Cats are nice."

"As long as you change the litter box," Heechul replies, turning back to his manga. 

*

Heechul assumed that “I’m getting a cat” meant “I’m getting a cat in five years when I have a proper job and my own apartment” not “I’m getting a cat on Saturday and you’re coming with me.” He grumbles at being pulled out of bed at such an ungodly hour (“It’s  _eleven thirty_ ,” Han Geng replies. “Hurry up or all the good kittens will be gone!”) and grumbles when Han Geng pushes him onto the subway and grumbles when he realizes it’s  _cold_  and he’s wearing leggings instead of real pants. But Han Geng doesn’t mind. Heechul’s been his roommate since freshman year; he’s used to this.

But when they arrive at the pet store, Han Geng’s smile starts to droop a little bit. He didn’t realize that kittens are  _expensive_  and his two part-time jobs are barely paying for him to get through university. He looks around at the other people in the store: mostly young kids with rich-looking parents. He eyes the kittens on display and while they’re quite cute, none of them really catch his eye.

"Can I help you find something?" the salesgirl asks. 

"Do you have any cats that are, uhm, cheaper than this?" Han Geng asks.

"Sorry," she says apologetically. "Our cats are the finest breeds and are all from excellent bloodlines. That’s why they’re more expensive."

Han Geng’s shoulders sink. “Oh. I… I’m a student. I don’t really have the money for this kind of cat.”

The girl looks around quickly before leaning closer. “You might want to try an animal shelter. There’s a nice one two stops down on Line 3. They’re always looking for loving owners for their animals.”

Han Geng gets directions from the girl, realizes he  _still_  isn’t good with directions in Korean, and then makes Heechul ask. Heechul, after failing to get the girl’s number, gets the address and drags Han Geng out before he can laugh.

The Happy Home Animal Shelter is just off the main street, down a quiet little side street filled with potholes. Heechul is incredibly skeptical as Han Geng pulls him inside but tries to keep his whining to a minimum.

"Hi!" a happy voice chirps from behind the counter. The receptionist (do animal shelters have receptionists?) hops off his stool and greets them with a very excited wave. "Welcome to the Happy Home Animal Shelter! My name is Zhou Mi."

"Zhou… are you Chinese?" Han Geng asks hopefully.

"Yes!" Zhou Mi replies in Mandarin. They excitedly exchange a whole slew of dialogue that Heechul doesn’t even pretend to understand. Something about China and Chinese and China? 

Heechul wanders off and after properly sanitizing his hands and slipping into the cat friendly slippers as directed by Zhou Mi’s assistant, he walks into the area where the cats are. Most of these cats can’t be considered kittens; they’re too big and too chilled out to be kittens. A few walk over to examine Heechul, but soon grow bored and wander away. He finds a comfortable corner and sits down. He crosses his legs in front of him and pulls out his phone to start gaming.

He’s too engrossed in the game to realize it at first, but when he puts down his phone, he finds that an expressionless gray cat has climbed onto his legs to lay down in cat-loaf formation. Heechul gives the cat a wary look before trying to scare it away, but the cat doesn’t move. It acts like it’s  _bored_  even. Heechul reaches out a hesitant finger and pokes at the cat. The cat scoots back on his legs before hopping off all together. And then  _saunters_  off.

"There you are!" Han Geng says, appearing out of nowhere. "Did you find me a cat?"

"How long has that gray cat been here?" Heechul asks. He points at the cat who’s now sitting on a perch, licking its paw.

"Oh you mean Heebum? He’s been here the longest unfortunately," Zhou Mi replies. "Someone dropped him at our door when he was a kitten, and he’s been here ever since."

"What’s wrong with him?" Heechul eyes the cat suspiciously. Was this a serial killer cat?

"Nothing," Zhou Mi assures him. "He just… doesn’t seem to like people very much. He always walks away when people try to pet him and he  _never_  purrs. Most people want a friendly cat, and… Heebum is just  _selective_  in the people he likes.”

 _Sounds like me,_  Heechul thinks to himself. 

Han Geng wanders around petting all of the cats before he finds one that plops itself in his lap and refuses to move. “What’s this one named?” he asks, stroking the cat behind the ears.

"Funny you should ask, that’s Laohu," Zhou Mi replies.

"Tiger," Han Geng says. "He’s Chinese too!" Tiger decides that he really likes Han Geng and starts purring loudly. 

Heechul sits down next to Han Geng and eyes the rest of the cats in the play area. A few are fighting or playing with the toys scattered around, but the gray cat is still on his perch, staring at Heechul. Without warning, he jumps down and walks over to sit on Heechul’s legs, just like he did before.

"Oh!" Zhou Mi exclaims, pointing at the cat. "He must like you! I’ve never seen him do that before."

"I would like to buy this cat," Heechul announces.

“ _You_  want a cat?” Han Geng asks in surprise.

"I don’t want  _a_  cat. I want  _this_  cat,” Heechul responds. 

They leave the animal shelter with two cats, two cat carriers, two cat beds, one bag of kitty chow, and one large bag of kitty litter that Heechul makes Han Geng carry. They let the cats out once they get back to their apartment and watch as they explore their new home.

"I think they like it here," Han Geng says.

"Ya, tell your cat to get out of my spot," Heechul replies.

*

It’s three months later and Heechul’s been away at a LOL convention for three days. Heebum sits on his spot on the couch and wonders why he isn’t being relocated. Han Geng feeds him every day (though he does when Heechul is home anyways) and wonders if he should tell Heechul that his cat isn’t eating.

When Heechul comes home, Heebum winds around his legs so he can’t walk. Heechul scoots the cat out of his way so he can unpack, but when he’s back on the couch watching some dumb action movie with Han Geng, Heebum climbs into his lap and demands his attention. Heechul scratches him under his chin, and Heebum finally starts to purr. 

"I think he likes you," Han Geng says.

"Yeah, I like him too," Heechul murmurs in reply.


End file.
